Spot Runner, an online service that helps local businesses develop and run professional-looking advertisements for TV and radio, has acquired Weblistic, a company that helps these same businesses run online advertising campaigns.
The all-stock deal intends to produce profitable synergies between traditional and new media. As part of the announcement, Spot Runner is citing a Jupiter Research study claiming that TV advertising is the “number one impetus for people to search for a particular company or product online.” So the idea is that the acquisition of Weblistic will allow Spot Runner to set up more complete advertising campaigns for local businesses, ones that don’t overlook the Jupiter findings but rather ensure that TV and radio advertisement audiences find the follow-up information they seek online.
The team behind Weblistic has been working in the local online advertising space since the late 1990s and was actually responsible for YellowPages.com. Spot Runner co-founder David Waxman is confident that the company’s acquisition of Weblistic will give it a unique opportunity to serve local businesses. As he puts it:
We are going to be the first one to be able to offer an integrated marketing campaign to these local guys. When you marry television with online, television can substantially increase lift online.
Given Google’s predominance in the online advertising space, and its interest in television advertising, this acquisition should make Spot Runner an even more attractive acquisition target for them.
That is the worst I wanted to listen to.
Long live Admine!
You guys at Techcrunch really look ridiculous sometimes. You assume that Google is going to look at Spotrunner. Do you have any idea how Spotrunner is doing? Are they kicking butt or failing? I’ve heard a pretty serious rumor and it wasn’t good. Ever wonder why a start-up is buying companies if things are going so well? Answer: it doesn’t happen except in very rare instances. Something is weird about this company. Do some homework and find out what it is.
Gimme a break.. SpotRunner has high expenses, no Revenue and is trying to make same TV ad exchange model work that killed eMadison, AdOutlet, AdAuction and 30 other dotbombs in 2001. Just a matter of time before they die..
Looks like you guys were right…..
Google might wait to buy Spotrunner when its value gets down to 2 million or so.
By that time boring template ads, for TV, web or mobile, will be as obsolete as 8-track tapes. Then Google can also deal with that reality and a potential restraint of trade issue concerning the secret dealings with DISH. I can’t wait until that story breaks! Alternately, a real quality custom-made ad at a realistic flat rate with true discount air time can be had at Cheap TV Spots which is the most award-winning discount TV ad agency in the world. Other than CheapTVSpots I have no suggestions on where to get reliable and predictable service, excepting if you pay full retail at a brick and mortar agency. By the way, didn’t Spotrunner lay off 200 or more? Isn’t Weblistic in trouble, too? Just asking.